


Among The Stars

by PossumTail



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: ATEEZ - Freeform, Angst, Atiny - Freeform, Fluff, Gay, Hongjoong, M/M, Mingi - Freeform, Romance, San - Freeform, Yeosang - Freeform, jongho, mlm, seonghwa, wooyoung - Freeform, yunho - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:21:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25597981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PossumTail/pseuds/PossumTail
Relationships: Jeong Yunho/Song Mingi
Kudos: 9





	1. Prologue

Legs spread out in front of him, a tall young boy sat calmly on the edge of a cool damp rock during the deep serene night. His head tilted upward, to see as many of the stars as he could amidst the light polluted area that he resides. The calm night air breezed through Jung Yunho's partially faded aqua hair creating waves similar to clean Caribbean seas. While caught among the stars, a startling buzz coming from his back left pocket caused him to snap out of his dream-like state. 

The text received was from Song Mingi.

Mingi was Yunho's closest friend going on one and a half years. While that doesn't seem exceedingly long, they were able to share a plethora of meaningful moments that have brought them where they are today. The boys met by chance, and an unknown world full of galaxies opened up to them. Previously, Yunho had not had many people to talk to. He spent his days in the background of his friend's lives, always being the one left behind. Mingi however had just gotten out of a accidental toxic relationship and was left with nobody to turn to. Once the two boys had met, their personalities clicked and they where able to explore parts of themselves that were never known.  
Once Mingi had arrived to his and Yunho's disclosed gathering place, their faces lit up like a thousand fireflies dancing in the night. They talked and shared air as the night grew faint. Mingi had known that he was staying with Yunho for the night, but he was not prepared for what Yunho had in mind.

Yunho

\------------------  
I was worried at what he was going to think of the idea... I had never asked if he would be ready for something like that. Maybe I'm overthinking on how it went. I'm sure everything will be fine.  
\------------------

Yunho had been waiting for over thirty minutes for the spry younger boy. He knew that the time Mingi was to arrive was around eight-thirty to nine o-clock, but he decided to show up early to make sure everything was right. While he waited, he watched the faded stars hoping that his plan wasn't too obscure.

Once Mingi had arrived, Yunho's anxieties and melancholic attitude had faded away and was replaced with pure joy.

"Hey whassup?" Yunho greeted Mingi with his usual bright, sparkling eyes. He was of course excited to see Mingi, but he was even more excited to show him the evening full of camping and stargazing that he had planned. Yunho had the tents set up, which Mingi had noticed immediately and looked to the older boy in confusion.

"What's all this??" Mingi questioned obliviously, not knowing how to react.

"I thought we could camp tonight!" Yunho responded with delight. He had been wanting to show Mingi what camping is like since the younger boy had previously mentioned not ever experiencing it.

Yunho noticed Mingi's concerned reaction and began to reassure him that everything will go smoothly. All Yunho had wanted to do was be there to experience what to Mingi, was new. Mingi's slight unease made anxiety stir within Yunho because he had never set up something like this for a friend. It was a new experience for both of them. However once Mingi had calmed down and agreed to the eventful night, everything seemed to go to plan.

The night was filled with laughter as the two young boys shared fond memories while creating ones anew. They played games, shared parts of themselves, and genuinely had fun. 

As the evening sky dimmed into darkness, a whole world of stars where revealed. The two boys lay side to side, gazing upwards at the world's blanket unfolded before them, for that was the last time their relationship had felt whole.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If every time i thought of you, a star fell, the sky would be empty.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	2. Chance

Yunho found it difficult to keep his head on his shoulders as he was slowly nodding in and out of sleep. With about thirty more minutes until closing for his small cafe, he decided to clean up early in hopes that it would make his suffering come to a quicker end. 

He wiped the auburn tables and stacked the cushioned iron chairs atop of them. He then mopped the brown tiled floor with haste, missing a few spots with no care. Yunho was proud of his establishment. It was a quaint building in the center of town, usually busy with sight-seeing tourists or hard working businessmen. It made him happy to have something under his control, and even happier to see customers satisfied with his mother's own recipes. His work made him enough money to do a little more than just survive; he was able to do the things he wanted to do and more. And that was all he needed. Yunho didn't have many close people; his widowed mother lived in the next town over and his few friends weren't as adventurous as the young ambitious boy. He had few friends who wanted to do the things that he did. He didn't mind, and of course he still hung out with them, but none of them were the perfect puzzle piece to Yunho's upbeat soul. That was until a certain star entered his lonely galaxy.

When Yunho got home he went straight to the shower. He took a second to view his well built frame in the slowly fogging mirror of his small apartment bathroom. He looked at his tired details; small bags under his eyes, and drooping eyelids. His light brown hair was askew and pointed in seemingly infinite directions from the day's work. He undressed swiftly and stepped into the shower after testing the water with his rosy fingertips. Yunho would have gone straight to bed if it weren't for feeling disgustingly sweaty after his bike-ride home. Letting the hot water run down his lean, muscular body, he only thought of the one thing he wanted.

Sleep

Feeling slightly more awake, the tall boy stepped out of the shower and dried himself off. He went to his closet to grab some clothes when he heard his phone buzz from his bed. Yunho took his time to gather clothes before going to see who was bothering him at the time.

The message was from one of his closer friends, Jongho. Yunho was taken aback at the message as it read:

Hey.. I just wanted to let you know that I care about you. I know this isn't usual from me, but I felt that I needed to say it. I've been thinking a lot about you, take that how you wish, but I appreciate all that you do. Goodnight Yunho.

Light tears built up in his bright brown puppy eyes as he read the message. He wasn't used to this affectionate attention from friends, especially from Jongho being that he isn't great at expressing emotions, but Yunho appreciated it. He had always been the close and loving type so being surrounded by distant friends and one's who were uneasy with expressing feeling took a small toll on him. Yunho knew his few friends cared, but it's small acts of recognition that keep him going day-to-day. 

That night, Yunho got into bed and it had felt like the first time in years since he had been there. He lied on his soft queen sized bed, wrapped in all of his blankets, finding it easy to fall asleep to the soft drizzling sound of rain that came from his bedside window.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been a slow couple of days at his shop because of a holiday and many places were closed due to citizens visiting their families. Yunho had been counting change when the ring of the cafe door's bell chimed and snapped him out of his rhythm. 

"Hi welcome t-" Yunho began, but he was shortly cut off by a deeper voice.

"Well this place is about as full as the others!" the ostensibly younger male chuckled to no specific person.

A young melancholic woman laughed out of what seemed to be pity. She seemed drained and out of it as the fiery young boy stepped lively to the counter.

"What will it be?" Yunho smiled to the young couple.

"I'll have a small iced, Ristretto, 10 shot, with breve, 5 pump vanilla, 7 pump caramel, 4 Splenda, poured, not shaken.. What do you want babe?" the deep voiced male asked.

"Oh I won't have anything.." the younger woman said hesitantly. 

The boy looked puzzled at his partner's decision, but went on with his payment.

"What's the order name?" Yunho asked.

"Mingi" The younger boy replied, and happily sat down at a table with his confidante. 

After Yunho delivered the order to the couple, he went back to the counter and pretended to be busy. He was brought out of his daydreaming when he heard the woman say something.

"I need to talk to you about something Mingi..." She started

"I have been thinking about this for a while, and I think we should break up."

Mingi was visibly shocked. He seemed so child-like and oblivious to Yunho, and he was able to see the younger boy's heart tear apart just from the look in his small precious eyes. 

"I think it is for the best." The girl continued, "I just don't think it's going to work out. You know I care about you, but my heart isn't there romantically." 

The girl stopped, and Mingi looked at her wistfully.

"Okay." Mingi finally spoke. His tone was understanding and calm and the girl was shaking.

"So... this is it?" said the younger boy, looking to the girl for any ounce of reconsideration.

"I think so Mingi, I'm sorry." The girl got up and left Mingi to sit alone with his unfinished drink.

Yunho didn't want to admit to eavesdropping on their conversation, but seeing Mingi's torn expression caused him to go and talk to him. 

"Not to interrupt.." Yunho began, "but do you need anything?"

Mingi looked to Yunho with appreciation, but silently shook his head.

"I think it will be a rough night for me tonight" Mingi said as a small tear caressed his soft cheek.

Yunho thought for a second. Originally, he hadn't planned on asking the younger stranger to go back to his apartment with him, but Mingi didn't seem to be a threat, and Yunho had nothing to lose.

"Well..." Yunho started, "would you like to come to my apartment tonight and chill? I know it's very strange having someone you don't know invite you over, but we can talk about how you feel if you'd like." Yunho gave Mingi his best smile.

"I guess.." Mingi stated carefully, "I have nothing better to do, but only if you are okay with it."

"Of course." Yunho said as he began to write his address and phone number down on a napkin.

"I guess I'll see you then." Mingi said as he was getting up to leave.

Yunho walked back to his station as Mingi was leaving, thinking about what he had just gotten himself in to. He was almost excited to see him later, and pondered how the night would go when the younger's voice cut him off.

"Oh yeah I'm sorry, what was your name?" Mingi inquired.

"My name is Yunho."


	3. A Reasonable Voice

Yunho calmly waited as customers came in and out of his cafe. He was thinking about how stupid he was for inviting someone he didn't know to his house, but at this point, he didn't care anymore. 

It was almost closing when he heard the cafe door ring. He was annoyed at first, being that it was right before he started to clean everything up, but that was all washed away when he saw the familiar figure standing in front of him. It was Jongho. 

Jongho had been Yunho's only close friend. They had known each other for around 5 years now, and they haven't gotten tired of one another; the two boys were always able to laugh while not having to hang out all the time, which worked for them because of their conflicting schedules. Jongho cared deeply for the older boy, he was always there for him, and that would never change. Yunho felt similarly of course, all he wanted to do was make Jongho happy.

"Hey pup what's up?" Yunho smiled at the friendly nickname that Jongho teased him with.

"Nothin' much, just about to clean up shop. Why are you here?" Yunho responded while taking off his apron.

"Dang Yunnie.. you don't just wanna see me?" Jongho's sarcastic tone and over-exaggerated pout made Yunho roll his eyes.

"Of course I don't. You suck." Yunho scoffed. Jongho stumbled back, pretending to get shot in the heart at the sound of Yunho's playfully harsh words.

"Okay okay, i'm glad to see you, but why are you here?" Yunho questioned, offering the younger boy a suspicious glance as he began to wipe down his counter-top.

"Just checking up on you dumbass, it's been a while." Jongho chuckled, putting his hands on his hips while shaking his dark brown bangs from his soft, unseen forehead.

"That's valid." Yunho said plainly. Yunho was used to his shorter friend's 'fuckery', but that's what he loved about him.

"Oh! I guess there is something new I could talk to you about" Yunho said remembered, biting his lip in thought.

"Oh really?" Jongho raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah actually... I invited someone over for the night, and I am kinda nervous. His name is Mingi, and I met today when he came in with his girlfriend-" Yunho tried to continue but was cut off by Jongho.

"YOU INVITED A STRANGER OVER?" Jongho sharply interrogated.

"Yes I did but it's okay! He was just really upset and seemed like he needed some comfort.. I don't know Jongho! He got dumped and I watched it happen... I couldn't not offer help."

Jongho sat in silence before responding to the older boy. "I understand Yunnie, but you shouldn't invite people you don't know over.." 

"Well it's kinda too late now, I can't just cancel on him." In the moment of Yunho's talking, his phone vibrated in his pants pocket. The text received was from an unrecognizable number. At first, Yunho was confused, he had completely forgot about Mingi's existence even though he was just being talked about. Upon reading the message, the recent memories flooded Yunho's thoughts.

"Is that your bOyFriEnd?" Jongho asked teasingly.

"Oh shut up, he was just asking the time that he should head to my apartment"

"And... when is that?"

"Jeez Jongho you're so nosy... I told him around 6 o'clock. That gives me enough time to get home, shower, clean up a bit, and order some food."

Even though Yunho went through his plans with confidence, he felt anxious to see the younger boy again. He didn't want to mess up what could be a nice friendship.

Jongho cut into the older's thoughts by offering him a kind and thoughtful farewell and leaving him to finish closing shop.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once Yunho got to his apartment, he took off his shoes and started to clean up house. He decided that it was better if he showered after he cleaned, so he wouldn't be sweaty from cleaning. He picked up scattered clothes and folded unfolded throw blankets. The tired-looking boy paid close attention to small details; making sure tables were neat and carpets were vacuumed. Even though most of his apartment was hardwood, the entertainment room was carpeted with pristine white matting that seemed untouched after the boy finished his self-given chore.

By the time he was through cleaning, it was 5:30pm and he was rushing to get in the shower. He threw his clothes off and hopped into the still cold running water. Yunho was expecting to be overthrown with shock, but the cool water felt calming as it hit his warm, sore body.

Yunho must have spaced out because by the time he was stepping out of his bathroom, there was a knock at the door. He looked through the peephole to find a comfortable-looking Mingi waiting for an answer. Forgetting that he still had only a towel on, Yunho opened the door to greet Mingi. Consequent to opening the door, Yunho felt the cold breeze from outside hit his practically naked body.

"Hey-" Mingi began but was immediately cut off by Yunho's apologies.

"I'm so sorry! I just got out of the shower, here..come in.. let me get some clothes on."

Before entering the taller boy's apartment, Mingi took a moment to eye Yunho's defined collar bones and rose-blushed features.

Once Mingi was inside, Yunho scurried to his room to find some clean clothes to wear. He found some soft, red flannel pants and a bright, over-sized yellow shirt and figured that would have to do. Yunho came out of his room, ordered pizza, and finally sat down on his couch next to the patient younger boy.

After a while of introductory talk and basic greetings, Yunho dared to ask Mingi about what happened earlier that day.

"I honestly don't really know.." seemed to be Mingi's answer before he continued. "Everything seemed okay but maybe I was too much for her... I can be clingy and too much to handle I think. Now that I think about it, there has been times where she seemed to be falling 'out of love' with me." Yunho listened intently as the younger boy explained his feelings.

"All ever did was my best and she never reciprocated.."

As tears started to fall down Mingi's warm cheeks, there was a knock at the door. Yunho got up and opened the door to the pizza delivery boy awaiting his payment. Once thanked and payed, the minute boy left Yunho with the two, warm cardboard boxes. 

When Yunho returned to the couch with the pizza boxes, Mingi's face was encased with tears that were seemingly building up for hours.

As Mingi continued to vent to the older boy, the two stuffed their faces with as much pizza as they could.

"I just don't understand how someone could just leave without any full explanation" Mingi managed to get out between sobs. "She never did shit for me, I was carrying everything in that relationship. All she did was deal with me."

Yunho was devastated at the younger's pain. He scooted closer to Mingi and hugged him. At first he was worried that Mingi wouldn't take that well, but all Yunho could feel was Mingi's muscles relax as he fell into Yunho's grip. The older boy started to run his hand across the younger's back to comfort him. The two boys' posture relaxed as they sat comfortably in each other's arms.

"Mingi, I know I don't know you well yet, but I really do believe that you're nothing but great. From the first time I saw you to now, you have done nothing but radiate soft, kind energy. Whatever the problem was with you and her, I can't let myself think it was because of you okay?"

The only response that came from Mingi was more sobbing. Yunho hurt from feeling the shorter boy's body shake intensely out of emotional aggrieve. Yunho ran his fingers through Mingi's silky mahogany hair and held him close. He still felt uneasy about being this physically and emotionally close to someone he had just met, but all he wanted to do was comfort the hurting boy.

Slowly, the sobbing quieted and Yunho was left with an emotionally drained boy who slept peacefully in his arms. He took time to look at the younger's features; his pointed, angular nose and the charming acne scars that caressed his cheeks. His eyelashes: long and dainty, sitting and barely kissing his under-eye. Yunho couldn't help but blush at the younger's appearance. The last thing Yunho remembered before giving in to his drowsiness was the peach color of Mingi's slightly chapped lips.


	4. Chapter 4

Yunho woke to the blazing beams of light hitting his face from the cracks in the blinds. After a moment of grogginess, he remembered the events from last night. He remembered the warmth of the brown haired boy laying still in his arms as he fell asleep; the remnants of tears dried on the younger's face, and his relaxed eyebrows, showing no signs of expression. Upon the memory, Yunho was confused to why he woke alone. Yunho looked to his phone and realized he had an unread message. It was from Mingi.

Hey I'm sorry I left so soon, I think I panicked and I didn't know what else to do. I really appreciate what you did for me, you really helped me. You kinda saved me there for a second. I know everything will get better with time.. I hope we can hang out soon!

Yunho smiled at the text, all he ever wants to do is make people feel better. For the longest time, he felt like the only person he had in his life was Jongho, which wasn't inherently bad, but it felt nice to have someone to take care of. 

It's okay, I understand! I hope we can hang out too. Besides all of the emotional things, I still had a lot of fun ^-^

The tall boy got up and started to clean up the mess the two boys had made that night. He put the leftover pizza in the fridge, threw away the used tissues, and picked up the blankets that were sprawled on his faux leather couch. He for once felt the need to clean. He felt that he now had a reason to.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Time Skip

Yunho arrived at the park to wait for Jongho. The trees had turned pink at the first sign of spring, cherry blossom petals floating effortlessly through the air, landing and brushing against the soft fabric of Yunho's puce sweater. He walked to a nearby gazebo, one that had been there for over 75 years. The gazebo reminded him of his mother and the adventures they would go on when he was little. That was before she had to move away to be closer to the hospital she had insurance with. His mother wasn't sick, but now that she has gotten older they felt that it was best to move closer to immediate help if needed. Yunho would have gone with her if it wasn't for his cafe being his main source of income.

Just as Yunho's mind began to wander, he heard the friendly greeting of Jongho entering the gazebo. The younger boy was well dressed; a button up shirt and a clean pair of black dress pants. His hair was brushed back and fixed with a part, exposing a small chunk of his forehead.

"What's with the outfit?" Yunho questioned. He was used to Jongho's clean and modest fashion, but this seemed too formal for an amicable talk in the park.

Jongho blushed as he spoke: "I.. Have a lunch date today, and I don't have much time to go back home and change." A smile crept onto Jongho's face, which made Yunho soft for his young friend.

"oooo~ Who's the lucky person?" Yunho chirped.

"His name is Yeosang. He seems very kind and polite, although I'm still pretty nervous to meet him." Jongho nervously brushed loose bangs out of his face and shifted his stance.

"Well that's cute! You better tell me how it goes."

The air was still and the friends sat in silence admiring the cool breeze.

"Have you thought of any romantic relationships lately Yunnie?" Jongho chimed in.

"Not really.. Though, every now and then I do want a relationship dynamic similar to a romantic one if that makes sense. I don't necessarily want a stressful, labeled relationship, but I want someone who is technically my boyfriend. I want to be able to show my affection to them with them reciprocating; more than friends, but the thought of having a hardcore structured relationship sounds anxiety inducing, and I already have enough of that." Yunho explained. "It's hard to find someone that would be down for that though... I want a slow and steady experience with someone I genuinely care for, but a lot of people nowadays are sex driven and lack passion."

"I get what you mean" Jongho added. "I know that's how you are.. you want a stress-free environment. Of course structure is still good for you, but too much can lead to emotional turmoil." Jongho paused as Yunho 'Mhmed' in agreement. "What about Mingi? You two are seemingly getting closer everyday, maybe that could work."

"I can't say I haven't thought of it.." Yunho admitted, "but I'm pretty sure he's not into guys and I wouldn't want to break his boundaries, plus I don't want it to ruin the friendship we are still building."

"Yeah that makes sense.. but who knows? Maybe it will be a thing. You guys clicked really fast, and he's kinds cute~" Jongho teased.

Yunho couldn't help but blush at the thought of Mingi's appearance. 

Jongho checked his wrist watch and noticed that he was running late. Jongho still needed to run a few errands before he met with Yeosang for their date. The two friends said their goodbyes and headed in their separate directions; Yunho taking more time to look at the scenery around him. 

Once Yunho got to his car, he checked his phone for any unread messages. There were three, one from his mother, reminding the young boy that she loved him, and two from Mingi. After he responded to his mom, he went to read what Mingi had sent him.

Hey can I come over tonight?

I was going to dye my hair tonight but I don't think I can do it alone.

Yunho got excited at the thought of dying hair and immediately confirmed a time the younger boy could come over. Along with giving Mingi a time, he told the boy that he might pick up some hair dye for himself and they could dye their hair together. They were to leave the color a secret, just for fun. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yunho stopped at a corner store on the way back to his apartment to look at hair dye. He was greeted politely by the nearest cashier as he walked through the doors. The store was fairly empty and all you could hear was the buzzing LED lights and some faint songs that are overplayed on the hottest radio stations.

The tall boy traveled to the hair-care isle and started to browse colors. At first, he eyed a dark red that he felt would go with his rosy complexion. He almost chose that color if it weren't for a small glimpse of a bright aqua color coming from his peripheral. He picked up the box of blue dye and studied it. He really loved the color, but he would have to bleach his hair if he wanted the same effect that the male had presented on the box. It may have been an impulsive decision, but he grabbed a few bleach kits and made his way to the register.

The same cashier that greeted him was there to check out his items. They exchanged polite conversation and Yunho headed out of the store and headed home for an afternoon nap.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The boy woke up from his longer-than-intended nap and drowsily walked to his kitchen in search of some sort of sustenance. Amidst staring into is void-resembling fridge, he heard his phone ring from his bedroom. Yunho awkwardly shuffled to his room to answer, and when he did, he answered with a groggy "Hello?"

"Hey Yunho, sorry did I wake you up?" A deep yet bright voice asked.

"N-no no" Yunho slurred in return, "Mingi??"

"Yes?"

"Oh...okay" Yunho responded. The response left Mingi confused, but he just figured that Yunho was still 'out of it' from sleeping.

"Well anyway.." Mingi began, "I need your help with a hair decision. I'm buying the hair color now but I don't know if I want to bleach my hair.."

"Well I bought some bleach kits for mine, but if you want your hair bright then you might have to get some for yours too" Yunho managed to get out as he lazily flopped on his bed.

"You're right.. Okay! thanks Yunnie, I'll be there in a bit."

Mingi hung up and Yunho lied on his bed with no particularly specific thoughts.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What only felt like a minute went by and Yunho heard a knock on his door. He slowly got up, tiredly muttering "Coming.." without care and that whoever was at his door couldn't hear him.

When Yunho answered the door, Mingi was taken aback at how sweet and cuddly Yunho looked. The older boy was surrounded in a warm blanket and sported bedhead; his cheeks flushed with reds showing that he had just slept, his eyes droopy and kind.

The shorter boy stepped inside and put his bag of hair stuff on Yunho's kitchen counter and took off his red hoodie. Yunho watched as Mingi took off his hoodie. The movement caused the younger boy's undershirt to slide up revealing his lean, yet soft body shape. Yunho couldn't help but blush at the sight, but he quickly averted his eyes before Mingi was able to notice.

To save time, they quickly went to the bathroom to start the bleaching process. Yunho took foil strips and a bleaching kit and started to go through Mingi's scalp section by section. Bleaching was the most stressful part of the process due to the 'hair frying' risk, but Yunho was able to pull it off decently. While Mingi's hair was marinating, Yunho started on his own hair. While he loved Mingi with all his heart, he did not trust the younger clumsy boy to bleach his hair. Luckily, Yunho was able to manage by himself. 

After washing out the bleach, they looked at each other and bursted with laughter. With their hair wet and bleach blonde, it looked awkward against their tan skin. Once they were finished with their laughing fit, Yunho grabbed Mingi's hair dye box and examined it.

"oooo red!" Yunho exclaimed "I almost picked red, but I decided again'st it" he said with a sly smirk, still trying to hide which color he eventually chose.

At this point, Mingi was sitting in a chair in Yunho's bathroom, facing a mirror while Yunho put on a new pair of gloves. The older boy started to squeeze the fire-red dye onto the younger's head, proceeding that action with gentle massaging. He started with the back of Mingi's head, slowly massaging the dye into his roots. Yunho made his way to the top of his head, making sure he got every strand of blonde hair.

Since Mingi's chair was facing the mirror and Yunho needed to reach the front of his face, Yunho climbed onto the counter, sat in a straddling position, and faced Mingi. The image of a messily dressed Mingi with dye-covered hair and a big dumb smile on his face made Yunho blush. As he began to rub dye in to the younger's hair, the two boys couldn't help but laugh at the awkward eye contact they were making. They giggled as they unconsciously scooted closer to each other. Yunho was practically on Mingi's lap as he finished up the last uncolored chunk of the smaller boy's hair. Once he was finished, Yunho rested his forehead against the younger's and smiled. Mingi felt warm and comforting to Yunho, and the feeling of the younger boy's hands resting on his waist made him melt. They had shared close moments like this before, in a seemingly friendly way, but for some reason Yunho felt different this time around. The closeness they shared filled Yunho's stomach with tingling to the point where he couldn't tell if it was anxiety making him feel this way or butterflies. They sat there for a second, smiling in each other's arms when Yunho felt himself subconsciously moving his face closer to his friend's. Yunho was focusing on the shorter boy's pink lips when he noticed him start to close his eyes. As Yunho began to follow in his friend's footsteps, he felt a soft heat hit his lips. Yunho put his hand on Mingi's cheek as they shared this small moment. The brief second that they spent felt like a wonderful eternity to Yunho and he wanted to live in this feeling forever, but he couldn't. He heard Mingi laugh softly as their lips pulled away. Yunho could feel his face being almost as red as the other boy's hair when they locked eyes. Mingi was unaffected by the friendly kiss, but Yunho's mind was spinning. All he could do now though was laugh it off and act like it was out of mere fun. 

The younger boy was excited to see what the older had picked for his hair color, and was immediately shocked when Yunho pulled out a bright refreshing aqua.

"That's a really pretty color." Mingi said in a surprisingly calm tone.

"You think?" Yunho replied, forcing an awkward smile at the younger boy.

"I do."

Mingi sat and waited using the toilet as a seat while Yunho began dying his hair. Since he had dyed his hair many times, he was able to go through his scalp quickly and effortlessly, not missing any spots along the way.

Once Yunho was finished lathering his hair with the bright blue color, it was time for Mingi to wash his hair out. While the shorter boy was in the shower, Yunho sat and let the hair dye sink in. The two boys sang songs and talked while waiting, then switched positions. Mingi got out of the shower and watched as Yunho went in. Yunho felt as if he was being 'checked out' but didn't want to make eye-contact just in case. They commenced their song singing and storytelling as Yunho rinsed his hair.

The shower itself was a faded purple once they were done, but Yunho didn't care. Usually, the tall boy would stress over the ceramic being stained, but he figured it would wash out eventually, if not by time then by bleach. 

The two boys wrapped towels around their head and left the bathroom.

"Whoo- It felt like we were in there for years" Mingi began.

"Right.. My eyes are strained from the bright light, it feels nice to be back in the livingroom.. or just.. out of the bathroom." Yunho laughed, attempting to keep the conversation light hearted.

While his friend had seemed completely okay with the kiss, Yunho's head couldn't help but spin. He kept getting anxious at the thought of overstepping his new friend's boundaries. He knew that from that point forward, all he would want to do was be close to Mingi. He loved kissing in general but he was genuinely afraid of how it would affect their relationship.

After a while of sitting on the couch and watching a plethora of videos, Yunho's thoughts would not leave him alone.

"Hey.. I wanted to apologize for kissing you." Yunho began. "I hope I didn't overstep any boundaries with you, I really don't want to make anything weird between us."

Mingi paused to think before responding. "Don't worry about it Yunnie, I would tell you if you crossed any boundaries. I promise."

Yunho believed him, but something still felt off. Something in him wanted Mingi to tell him that he liked the kiss, or at least didn't hate it, but that's not what happened. Mingi gave Yunho a fair and direct statement of being okay with the kiss, however, it didn't seem to establish any future boundary lines. Yunho's mind was racing but eventually, all he could think of was sleep.

The two boys decided it was time to lay down and rest. Both of them were tired from sitting in the bathroom lights for a long period of time. They went to Yunho's bedroom where his bed was not made. He had blankets everywhere, and a plush dog that was given to him by his childhood friend San on the complete other side of the bed. Mingi didn't care though, and immediately jumped onto the bed. Yunho could only laugh at the shorter boy as he made himself comfortable in the now familiar blankets. Yunho slowly climbed into bed after turning off the lights. He scooted close to Mingi's warm body and he felt an arm wrap around his waist. At this point in time, all Yunho knew was that Mingi made him feel at home.


	5. Newly Arrived Feelings

Yunho woke to the younger boy's arms wrapped around him. He didn't want to wake the other, so he sat and admired his features. Mingi's face was soft and emotionless as his body grew and deflated with every breath. Yunho's face was in the shorter's neck, he could feel the other's ridged collarbone against his own soft cheek. Yunho watched as Mingi's chest rose and fell and recalled the previous night's events. He knew everything would be fine in the long run, so why was he stressing so much? He knew Mingi was fine with it, so why was it still on his mind? All the tall boy could think about was the feeling of his friend's soft lips against his. He could hardly even remember the specifics, upon recall he felt like it only lasted a second.

Mingi woke up to Yunho staring at his lips. A small twinge of dread flooded Yunho's mind. It didn't help that the two boys were already intertwined with each other, but the fact that Yunho was looking longingly at the younger's lips didn't help. They sat in silence for what seemed like a year to Yunho, but Mingi eventually came to.

"Morning." Yunho managed to get out. He realized his voice had cracked mid-word and immediately blushed. He wasn't used to being this awkward, but he had to roll with it.

Mingi responded in an assortment of groans and gurgles to which resembled a 'good morning', but the older boy couldn't tell. He could only smile inwardly at Mingi's morning glow as the shorter boy slowly sat up from their previous position.

The younger boy stretched and got out of bed to go to the bathroom. Yunho wanted to whine at the loss of comfort and warmth, but all he did was shove his face into his pillow before eventually finding the courage to get up. When he did, he went straight to the kitchen and started to cook breakfast. He didn't usually eat breakfast, but he enjoyed making food for the younger excitable boy.

Yunho opened the fridge to find two sad eggs and a flimsy piece of bacon. He would've been okay with the small meal if Mingi would be satisfied, but Yunho knew he wouldn't. That boy had the appetite of a starved puppy. He picked up his phone a dialed the nearest fast food restaurant that delivered at this time, and placed an order. Yunho figured it could be a nice surprise for his friend.

At this point, Mingi had come out of the bathroom and sat on the living-room couch. The younger boy seemed to be more awake and energized as he took the remote from the table and turned on the TV. They had only been friends for a few months, but they were close enough to come and go from each other's homes as they pleased.

Running his hand through his now aqua blue hair, Yunho carried himself to the living-room to give the breakfast news.

"So we don't have much to eat because I haven't gone to the store.. but... I ordered some food and it will be here soon. Why we wait though, I'm going to take a shower." As Yunho finished, he noticed how red his younger friend's hands where.

"Dude your hands freaked me out for a second." Yunho chuckled as he took his friend's hand. Mingi's hands felt soft and kind despite the fact that they looked deadly.

"Guess you caught me... red hAnDed!" Mingi forced out, choking on his words as if they hurt to say. All Yunho could do was stare at him with utter disappointment while the younger looked at him, waiting for his reaction. A reaction wasn't given. Yunho immediately turned and headed towards the bathroom, yelling for Mingi to listen for the delivery guy.

This was the first time he had looked at his newly blue hair since the previous night. The marble countertop and leftover bleach-kits were all too familiar to him. He could imagine the younger sitting in the chair that still sat in front of the mirror, giggling at his silly reflection before him.

As Yunho turned on the shower, he noticed his blue-stained hands. They looked ungodly, like if someone had drained all of the blood from them. Yunho took off his sleepwear and hopped into the now-warm shower. Upon the immediate touch, Yunho's hair color mixed with the water and oozed down his body like melted ice-cream. 

Deep in thought, he watched as the water streams traced his body features. 'Why did Mingi let me kiss him?' was the only thing in his mind. It was like a broken record, and it drove him insane. The only way Yunho could tell that he was crying was from the burning feeling in his throat and the stuffiness of his nose. Why was it bothering him so much? Mingi said he was fine with it, but was he only okay with it that one time? What if Yunho wanted to kiss him again? The tall boy anxiously ran his hand through his hair. 'No' Yunho told himself , 'no no no no no'. It wasn't until he heard Mingi's voice that he snapped out of his thoughts. He heard Mingi talking to an unrecognized voice. Once he processed that it was the delivery guy whom the younger boy was talking to, he turned off the shower and stepped out into the brisk air. The atmosphere made Yunho shiver, he wasn't prepared for the cool temperature of his bathroom.

Yunho quickly dressed and left to the living-room where a delighted-looking Mingi sat with their assorted breakfast foods. Naturally, Mingi was the first one to take out his food. He thanked Yunho for paying and dug in. Yunho watched with delight, seeing Mingi enjoy himself shoved away any previous negative thought and boy was he enjoying himself. The younger boy's emotions shone through his smile-eyes. In the midst of enjoying Mingi's company, Yunho felt his phone ring. When he answered, Jongho's kind voice was there to greet him.

"Hey Jongho what's up?" the tall boy answered "How was your date~"

"I think it went pretty good!" a husky voice answered. "We went out to eat then he came back home with me and we chilled."

"oooo did you guys-"

"NO" Jongho practically yelled. Yunho could hear the slight defense in his voice, but he reassured his friend that he was only joking.

Jongho let out a nervous chuckle before continuing. "How was your evening? Did you do anything out of ordinary?"

"Actually yeah," Yunho began, "Mingi spent the night and we dyed our hair."

"woah what color?"

"You'll have to see mine next time we meet up," Yunho told his young friend, "But Mingi dyed his har red."

"That's really cool! But hey sorry my mom is calling; I'll have to talk to you later Yunnie."

"Alright man, see ya."

As Yunho hung up the phone, he looked over to Mingi, who was still enjoying his food. Part of him was dreading spending the rest of his day with the younger boy, he loved his company but Yunho couldn't get his seemingly new feelings out of his head. Just looking at his friend gave him butterflies, which wasn't bad, but it also gave him anxiety. He generally liked the feeling of liking someone, but he wasn't ready to risk their current relationship. However, he decided that he was going to trudge through the day and try to forget his confusing situation.

"Hey do you want to watch a movie?" Mingi's voice cut through Yunho's thoughts like butter.

"Uh yeah sure, what movie did you have in mind?"

"Well my friend Wooyoung told me about this zombie movie called uhh... Train to.."

"Train to Busan?"

"Yeah that!"

"Mingi.. Have you never seen that movie??" Yunho was taken aback by the fact that his younger friend had not seen it. It was, and still is, a very popular Korean movie. But of course he hadn't seen it, he is just so oblivious to everything.

Mingi responded with a shameful 'no' and with that, Yunho was up searching for his copy of the movie. Something about how childishly unaware Mingi was made Yunho soft for him, in fact, it seemed like everything the younger boy did made him soft.

Yunho had eventually found the DVD and put it in his dusty, un-used DVD player. It was a miracle that the thing even worked, he'd had it all his life. Once the movie was in, he quietly went to his room to grab some blankets. Did Mingi know that this was a sad movie? Yunho's bets were on the answer being 'no', but he couldn't be sure, so he brought a tissue box with him just in case.

It had been around thirty minutes into the movie when Yunho began to feel restless. He had seen this movie countless times so all he had to look forward to was his friend's reaction. Yunho began to scoot closer to Mingi, who was too fixed on the screen to notice. He scooted close enough to barely touch his friend with his body, but this time, Mingi noticed. The shorter boy looked away from the screen and towards Yunho, curious to why he was so close all of the sudden. Yunho tried to pretend that there wasn't anything different, but his blush was giving him away. They made eye contact, which only made Yunho blush more. His mind was racing, he wanted to kiss him again, and for a second, he thought they were about to, but that was until Mingi wrapped his arm around Yunho's shoulder. Yunho was also content with this outcome as he was able to snuggle close to Mingi's chest.

Most of the movie had gone by when Yunho started to hear faint sobs come from the soft boy he was laying on. He was smart to have brought tissues knowing that his dear friend was fragile. While Mingi continued to sob into tissues, Yunho lied unaffected as the final tear-jerking scene was spread out in front of them. However, the thought of losing someone you love irked the young boy. In a way, he felt that he could relate to the young girl, losing her father to inescapable doom. He couldn't imagine what it was like to be separated forever, having that memory painfully engrained inside one's head. He began to think of what it would be like to lose his mother, the only blood family he was still close to. That dispiriting thought mixed with the sounds of his friend's small sobs made tears fall out of his eyes. He gripped onto his friend's shirt as he tried to swallow the teardrops that were making their way down his pink cheeks. By then, both of the boys were weeping uncontrollably. Mingi's shirt was wet from the older's tears but because they couldn't hold themselves together, they held each other close. It was at this moment when Yunho realized that Mingi had never seen him cry. Once Yunho started to cry, there was no holding back. All of the tall boy's emotions ran out of him to the point where he wasn't crying about the movie anymore. All he had dealt with in the past twenty-four hours was pure emotional turmoil, and he had kept it all in. He had kept in his small anxieties. He had kept in his newly realized feelings for his friend. He kept it in then, and he would keep it in for as long as he could. He couldn't let Mingi find out how he was feeling at that moment. Yunho had come to the conclusion that his crush on Mingi was a small phase and would blow over in the meantime. Everything would be fine as long as he didn't show his friend how he truly felt.


	6. A New Perspective

"You have to tell him you like him" Jongho started, "This is clearly not good for you.. It's tearing you apart".

It had been a few, long, stressful months since Yunho had come to accept his feelings for his friend. It ached him, his whole body hurt from the thought of it. How could he tell Mingi how he felt when it was clear that the younger boy was straight? He wasn't ready to lose his friend to a stupid emotion, and he was surely not ready to even say how much he loved the red-haired boy out loud. Just saying the words made him want to cry.

"I can't. That's it. If he somehow has feelings for me, I will wait for him to come to me."

Jongho didn't argue with his beloved friend, so they momentarily sat in silence.

"Then what are you going to do?"

"I don't know."

\-----

MINGI

The way it made him feel, to be dumped by someone he cared about, hurt like hell. 

It stung.

For just a moment, he felt that he had lost all hope. That was until Yunho entered his life.

He hadn't felt a connection like this to a friend in what felt like forever. The two shared every last braincell they had, which made it easy for them to be in each other's company. Mingi was soft and emotional, someone who needed constant attention, and Yunho was able to give it to him. He loved being physically close to people, he craved the feeling, and he felt fulfilled with his older friend. They had shared everything for the time they have been together, from clothes to food to emotions. From hugs, to cuddles, to even a kiss.

The kiss.

The shorter boy wasn't expecting it to happen, and he wasn't ready for it either. The way the two were casually sitting in the bathroom, Yunho's thighs practically straddling his lap. The way their foreheads leaned against each other as they shared warm laughter. It had felt like a blink to him, the feeling of the older boy's warm lips against his. It caught him off guard, he had never kissed another boy before. He didn't hate it, but it felt.. strange. For his whole life he never would have imagined kissing another boy, but here he was.. completely shocking himself. 

His older friend seemed anxious about it, which was understandable. Mingi didn't want him to feel bad though, it was just a friendly kiss after all. What Yunho didn't know was that Mingi was stressing about it too. It's not that he felt that liking another boy was wrong, he had just never saw himself doing it. He was just simply confused. Being in another relationship at this time wasn't what was stressing him, but the looming feeling of his whole identity crumbling on top of him. Mingi was okay with kissing Yunho, and that, for him, was enough to make his thoughts swirl out of control.

\-----

The red haired boy lied awake in his apartment. He couldn't sleep. He wanted to ignore and push away his confusing emotions, so that's what he did.

I don't like guys, I don't. It's that easy. I've liked girls all my life, why would I just now find out that I'm in to boys?

For now, the boy had convinced himself that it was nothing to worry about. He knew who he was, and nobody was going to change him, not even Yunho.


End file.
